Really wasn't expecting much from this weekend but it turned out to be surprisingly interesting. Atlantic depressions are fine if you live in the Western/Northern Isles or Cornwall but not if you are on the east side of Scotland. A south-west airflow is fine for visible migration but not when it gets too strong. A couple of visits to Carlingnose Point were on the whole slow going due to  that wind strength subduing movement but both times there was a moment of quality in the form of migrant Great Northern Divers; on thurs a non breeding plumage bird presumably a Juv, went high inland with 2 Red-throated Divers and yesterday a very smart breeding plumaged Adult came in with a single Red-throated Diver. This bird almost certainly went inland as well but I managed to lose it when I was reaching for my camera.
Yesterday afternoon me and the missus went up the East Neuk of Fife, more for a drive and some lunch at the Balgove Larder, although it was in the back of my mind that a few eastern birds were still lingering along the coast and an American waif isn't totally out of the question on the E coast see here for instance
 http://beadnell-birding.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/rev.html

As it turned out no American megas for me, but things started nicely with a flock of around 20 Barnacle Geese in a stubble field by the roadside between Guardbridge and St Andrews. You get a fairly narrow window of opportunity to see this species in Fife when birds pass through on migration from Svalbard during October.  On arrival at Kilminning near Fife Ness I was less enthusiastic with a blasting wind greeting us. But a walk around the entrance kicked out some 20 Blackbird from the undergrowth while a few Goldcrest were in the sheltered spots. Not exactly earth shattering but I was amazed to see anything.
The onto to the seaward end, where a sheltered patch was found along the approach lane to the coastal car park which was attracting a few Goldcrest and a couple of Chiffs and then suddenly a Lesser Whitethroat popped up. Not a common bird in Fife and this was a really confiding one. Some of the plumage features shown by this bird suggest it could be a Siberian type blythi/hallimodendri. The plumage tones changed dramatically with the lighting conditions but a rather sandy toned mantle and brown tones on the head were detected at times as well as buff flanks contrasting with a white throat.
Then a nice finish when turning around in the coast car park I spotted a raptor struggling into the wind off the sea being mobbed by gulls which turned out to be a Juv Hen Harrier. Always a nice bird to see and uncommon in Fife.